Now Commenting On:

Gregorius excited to be throwing again after injury

TEMPE, Ariz. -- It was raining Friday morning, but Didi Gregorius had a smile on his face as he headed outside to play catch.

After not throwing for two-plus months due to a sore elbow, the D-backs shortstop was not about to let any opportunity slip by, no matter the weather.

Gregorius has been playing catch for about a week now, and stepped it up from 60 feet to 75 feet Friday. He remains on target to be able to play in the field later this month.

"He's several weeks away from throwing the ball across the diamond," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said.

Gregorius did see his first game action Thursday and went 1-for-4 as the designated hitter.

"It felt a little different, because I hadn't been in a game in a while and it was just my second time seeing live pitching," Gregorius said. "For me, it went great to get my first couple at-bats of the spring. It's something I'd been looking forward to."

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.